DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Helper: Monday 2/1/21

With 10 games to choose from on Monday's slate -- which locks at 7:30 p.m. EST -- let's look at the top options across all five positions for NBA DFS.

Be sure to check out our projections, which are updated throughout the day as news breaks, and our other DFS tools such as advanced stats and a matchup heat map.

Here are some of the top plays on today's DraftKings slate. As always, good luck.

Point Guard

Ja Morant ($7,600) -- Only two days ago, Morant played for the first time since the Memphis Grizzlies were essentially put on lockdown due to a COVID outbreak. It didn't seem like the layoff had much of a negative effect on the star point guard, though. He finished with a double-double and 37.5 DK points in 28 minutes, the result of a blowout over the San Antonio Spurs. The Grizz remain in San Antonio for a second straight game with the Spurs, which promises to be a closer, if the three-point spread is any indication. Morant's well-rounded 1.33 DK points per minute is enough for more than 40 DK points when he's playing over 35 minutes. He should get the job done tonight as one of the premier plays.

Lonzo Ball ($5,500) -- Ball continues to be a thorn in DFS player's sides. Since dealing with an injury about a week ago, he has had a rollercoaster of a three-game stretch, including games of 25 DK points and as high as 47.25. The deciding factor seems to be whether he is taking shots to boost the upside that comes with his rebounding and playmaking from the point guard spot. For me, that doesn't matter all that much against the Sacramento Kings. According to NBA.com, they are the league's 11th-fastest team and, as a result, allow the most field goal makes per game. The shots should be there for Ball to blow past 30 DK points and bring back some nice value.

Shooting Guard

Theo Maledon ($4,300) -- Maledon has started three straight games for Oklahoma City Thunder, increasing his starter's workload with each game. Last time out he was able to log 33 on his way to 36.75 DK points on 8-of-9 shooting. George Hill is going to be out again due to injury so the opportunity should be there for Maledon to return value against the Houston Rockets. Houston's been a solid defense overall, but they fall from 4th in all games to 12th in defensive rating on the road this season.

Anfernee Simons ($4,200) -- If you aren't into Maledon's ability to fill your lineup, Simons might be the guy at a similar salary range. He's also garnering more minutes and shots without the likes of C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic, and while Rodney Hood is back Derrick Jones Jr. is going to sit out a second straight game for the Portland Trail Blazers. Over the last four games, the third-year guard has posted a 22.8% usage with 16.0 points and 12.3 shots over 27 minutes. Portland's going to need a spark to keep up with the high-flying Milwaukee Bucks, and in the event of a blowout (a real possibility) Simons could see 30-plus minutes and work out for those also rostering Giannis Antetokounmpo for his upside.

Small Forward

DeMar DeRozan ($7,000) -- Take this for what it is: a tournament-only play. DeRozan is coming off one of his worst performances of the year -- if not his worst -- in which he finished with only 5 points and 7.75 DK points over 25 minutes. The Grizz held him to 2-of-6 shooting, and while he has had single-digit shots in three of his last four it's worth noting that he's had games of 37.25 and 47.75 DK points in the process. There's a reason he's averaging north of 38 fantasy points a night, and that lies in his ability to both score and dish out assists from his off-guard slot. In his only other game against Memphis, he flashed the tournament-winning upside, going for 28 points and 56.25 DK points in a near-triple double.

Isaac Okoro ($3,700) -- With Okoro, it's all about minutes. The gifted yet unrefined rookie has put up a mere 17.3 DK points per game on the season, but he's done so over 35.5 minutes a game. And even with new additions like Taurean Prince he's played 32.5 minutes in the last five. There isn't much upside, but if you are paying up for a couple of studs in that $9,000 to $10,000 range you might need someone like him to round out your lineup. After all, he and the Cleveland Cavaliers get a Minnesota Timberwolves team that allows a massive 117.1 points a night.

Power Forward

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,000) -- Giannis is always one of the top elite options on the board, but as we continue to go over he's awesome in close games. He has gone big of late when the Bucks have been in narrow wins or losses, and with them on a two-game skid it's likely we see him out there for 35-plus minutes. Portland was already a bad defense to start out, but they have surrendered the second-worst defensive rating and eighth-most points per game since Jusuf Nurkic exited the lineup because of injury. The only thing that should keep Antetokounmpo from popping off is a blowout on his home floor.

Julius Randle ($9,200) -- Randle is someone you can opt for in a more well-rounded lineup, particularly one for cash games. Without a number of obvious values under $5,000, you might feel more comfortable, given that the New York Knicks' stud could also grab you 50-plus fantasy points on any given night. That is certainly the case here, too, with the Chicago Bulls operating at a top-five pace and giving up the fourth-most points per 100 possessions to date. While Randle's high usage and 1.3 DK points per minute are cash-worthy, he could also be a means of differentiating your lineup in tournaments.

Center

Christian Wood ($8,900) -- Center is full of solid options, but under $9,000 Wood seems like something of a steal. His 44.5 DK points per game are right on the button for his salary-implied total, however, that comes over 33 minutes and has been influenced by blowouts like Saturday when he logged only 27 minutes in a 14-point win. When playing between 30 and 39 minutes Wood has averaged 42.5 points and 1.28 on a per-minute basis. That's thanks to a 26.8% usage rate and 62.6% true shooting rate. OKC -- ranked 10th-worst against centers -- has no answer for Wood's inside-outside game.

Xavier Tillman ($4,800) - The number of value options are quite limited tonight, but if you pay no mind to Memphis' last game you could find your way to value against the Spurs. Although Tillman played a mere 21 minutes on Saturday, the Grizz were subject to the blowout which handed more minutes to backup Gorgui Dieng. Due to a well-rounded line, he was able to go for 24 DK points in that time, bringing his per-minute average to 1.03 over the last three contests. San Antonio isn't the worst defense in the league, but they are 21st in rebounding rate, which lends itself to a big man having a respectable game at a low salary.

Brett Oswalt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Brett Oswalt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username BRO14THEKID. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.